Grain-steamer



(No Modem.'

L. ATKINS. GRAIN STEAMER.

No. 408,882. Patented Aug. 18, 1888.

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l UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY ATKINS, OF TRENTON, MISSQURI.

j G RAIN-STEAM ER.

SPEIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,682, dated August 13, 1889.

l Application led August 5, 1887. Renewed March 18, 1889. Serial No. 303,822. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, LEROY ATKIns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Grundy and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Steamers; and I do hereby declare the following to be .a full, clear, andv exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the This invention relates to grain-Steamers', and has for its object the const-ruction of a cheap, simple, and effective device for steaming grain while on its way to the grinding mill or rollers.

` The invention will be hereinafter described,

and particularly pointed out n the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a perspective, partly broken away; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Reference being had-to the drawings and the letters marked thereon, A represents a grain-steamer, which is divided into an upper chamber or passage-way a, for grain to pass through, and a lower chamber b, into which steam enters, and the water of con densation produced by the steam is collected and conducted away. The two chambers are separated by a horizontal foraminous partition c,

.of wire-gauze, which is secured to side ledges CZ (only one of which -is shown) and to the end ledges c f by solder, or in any other suitable manner. The ledge c at the lower end of the steamer projects in a considerable distance farther than the ledge f at the opposite end,

extends beyond the ends of the tubes g 7i, and forms a baffle-plate for the steam issuing from the tube g and directs it along the under side of the wire-gauze partition c, through which the steam passes, and completely snrrounds the grain passing through the chamber or passage a. The water of condensation is conducted from the chamberb through the tube It, and to prevent any water entering the pipe c, through which the steam is supplied, it (the tube) projects above the bottom of the chamber b, as shown at 1.. At the lower place between the stock-hopper and the last cleaner, or between the stock-hopper and the rollers, and its free end may be raised orlowered and secured in any convenient and suitable manner.

By my construction lgrain may be thoroughly steamed without being exposed to the water of condensation and all the desirable and benecial results of the steaming obtained without subjecting the grain to any of the deleterious effects usually produced by the Water of condensation coming in contact therewith.

The steamer may be made of wood or metal, and may be of rectangular form, as shown, or it may be cylindrical or of any other form. That shown is, however, preferred, for the reason that the grain is spread out over a greater surface and can be kept running in a thinner stratum than in most other forms.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is In a grain-steamer, a grain-chamber open at both ends, asteam-chamber under the grainchamber, and a horizontal foraminous partition between said chambers, in combination with a steam-supply pipe and a pipe for conducting water of condensation from the steamchamber, both of said pipes being at one end of the steamer, and a baffle-plate in the plane of the foraminous partition and` constructed to direct steam along the under side of said partition, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 

